“The doctors would like us to leave now; they’ve already let us stay a bit after visiting hours. They’ll let us know in the morning though they said not to keep our hopes up,” my mom informed us.
“Do you want to stay in our guest bedroom for the night Nyki? I’m sure you’re just as anxious to find out as we are,” Dad told Nyki, he had let go of my hand and turned around to go.
“Yes, thank you, I just need to call my parents to let them know,” Nyki replies thankful.
So we head to the car and go home. Nyki calls his parents and they’re fine with it. Mom begins dinner and after a while the house fills with the smell of soup.
“Dinner’s ready,” mom announces.
Everyone quietly walks into the dining room. Mom fusses with the flowers, and dad seems buried in instructions on fixing something. It’s yet another awkward dinner. I inwardly sigh thinking about how noisy and filled with laughter dinners used to be. We eat in silence as the minutes feel like hours. When I’m finally done I jump up and put my dishes away.
“I’ll be upstairs,” I say to no one in particular.
As soon as I get to my room I collapse onto my bed, the sobs I’ve been holding in for so long finally being released. I’m crying so hard I don’t hear Nyki walking up the stairs. I hear the door creak and I jump, startled. Turning around I see him standing in the doorway.
“Oh, hi Nyki,” I say wiping away tears, trying to dry my face. He walks over and sits by me on my bed.
He wraps his arms around me and begins, “Lia, I’m so sorry. You don’t know how much I wish I could do something that would help.”
“You already have,” I tell him. He gives me a puzzled look. “Just by being here for me, that helps. And thank you by the way.”

“Could you tell me something?” Nyki asks. “Did you really mean it when you said you rather it have been you than your sister who had the cancer?”
I pull away and look into his eyes, “Yes, I did. I think that I should have at least gotten it also. We’re identical twins so why didn’t I have it?”
“Don’t say that. I am very glad you didn’t get cancer. Because then I would have to lose two very good friends, and …“ he trails off.
“And what?” I ask confused.
He looks away, then back towards me. He opens his mouth as if to say something then shuts it. Finally he says, “Never mind.”
After a while we lay back on the bed and Nyki stays for a while longer to make sure I’m OK. Talking into the night, time flies by. Eventually we just fall asleep there, Nyki holding me in his arms.